Seton Hall Whitehead School

[natalou]

Does anyone have any inside information/opinions on the MA program at the Whitehead School? I notice that a lot of people on this board apply and are accepted but there are no threads dedicated to it.

I was accepted and I realized I'm not seriously considering it because I haven't heard anything about it. I haven't heard anything BAD about it, but nothing good either.

I'd love to hear some insight, especially because I won't be able to visit.

[PaleGreenStars]

Does anyone have any inside information/opinions on the MA program at the Whitehead School? I notice that a lot of people on this board apply and are accepted but there are no threads dedicated to it.

I was accepted and I realized I'm not seriously considering it because I haven't heard anything about it. I haven't heard anything BAD about it, but nothing good either.

I'd love to hear some insight, especially because I won't be able to visit.

I also applied and got accepted there. This past Saturday, they had a "Meet the Dean and Faculty Members" luncheon that I attended. Honestly, two of the professors seemed extremely boring, but two of the professors seemed interesting, knowledgeable, and nice. All of the professors talked about how they were there to help students, so if you have any questions about content or specific classes or anything, email or call them (it is their spring break this week as a head's up). They require that all grad students complete one internship (you can also complete another for 3 more credits). They have one staff member whose only job it is to meet with students and help them find appropriate internships. They had a bunch of current students and alumni speak. They all had amazing sounding internships at places like the UN, Council on Foreign Relations, the State Department, PBS, etc. Alumni now have jobs at the EPA, State Department, Department of Energy, USAID, different embassies, and places like that. A lot of the alumni help current students get internships where they work. I know alumni wouldn't come to an event like this to bad-mouth the program, but they all seemed to honestly LOVE the school and where they were now. The Whitehead School is an APSIA Affiliate School.

Honestly, South Orange is a crappy, not so safe town. But there are plenty of nicer towns nearby. There are trains that are near campus that go to New York Penn Station in 30-40 minutes.

If you have any other questions about it, feel free to ask!

[HOUBMA]

I am from a small rural town about one hour south of Toledo, Ohio, and I found Seton Hall to be the perfect match for me! I just got back from a tour, class, and meeting with a couple of professors in my specialization. It was amazing, and I am probably going to choose it over NYU. I am wanting to specialize in Africa and NGO's, so I attended a class with one of the professors in my field. Needless to say, she was a remarkable prof that lead intense, thoughtful discussions.

Secondly, the campus and town seem very serene. I know where many folks get the idea that the campus is "crime filled" and nasty. However, if you are from a smaller town like I am, you will find it to be a breath of fresh air considering when I was in NYC visiting NYU I could barely hold my sanity for the length on the tour (let alone getting there on public transit). There are many nice places to eat and visit downtown. The previous poster is correct that there is a bad section of South Orange. However, if anyone on this earth can name a town without a bad section please show me, because utopias do not exist.

Last, I felt that talking with a lot of the students gave me a real idea of what it was like to be a student. After the class I asked a few of them in the hallway to be honest about if they liked it at the Whitehead School. They said they thoroughly enjoyed it, and they felt a sense of community with every person there. I was shocked, since at my undergrad school (a small christian university) people will bash the school to perspectives whenever they get the chance because they dislike food, dorms, etc. I feel as though they truly enjoy it there.

I am pretty decent at picking out authenticity from bs, but I could sense that these students were a community, the professors in my field were amazing, and the surrounding area was different from the noise and bustle of NYC. Hope this helps!

[natalou]

Thanks to both of you for the info! The career services sounds really promising for an MA! I'm trying to decide between an MPP and an MA...

Did you notice the ages of the students? Are they mostly right out of undergrad or what?

And have either of you heard anything about merit awards? They haven't contacted me about funding yet, but I did write that essay for the GA. My acceptance letter was short and sweet and didn't even mention any forthcoming aid announcements.

[HOUBMA]

Hello again! Glad to answer your questions! When I sat in on classes I met two or three students that were 22-23 years old. One of the girls I met had to leave class early because she was flying to Tunisia for spring break! Pretty cool... There were also a few students in the class that were in their late 20's-early 30's (I met one guy that was 33). Therefore, to answer your question, there are a wide range of different aged students there. The student I sat beside was from Morocco, so they also have students from around the world as well. Needless to say, their diversity is probably similar to what you would find at an NYU Wagner or UPenn.

Funny you should mention financial aid, since when I was visiting Seton Hall last Thursday they told me that decisions were forthcoming. The lady I spoke with said that they were sitting down this week to finalize the decisions, and they should be out either this week or next week.

Hope this helps! Ask any more questions, I am glad to help!

[PaleGreenStars]

So I grew up in New Jersey. Therefore, everyone I know who went to Seton Hall was from New Jersey. I was very happily surprised to see that there were people from all over the country and all over the world at the Whitehead School. I met people from Illinois, Virginia, Texas, Canada, India, Pakistan, and Ethiopia during my visit. Most people seem to be in their mid to late 20s. It seems like the students took a year or two before applying. Like Houbma said, there were a few 22-23 year olds who are right out of undergrad. Most people seemed older than that though. I am 26, personally.

Also, I asked about financial aid (I also wrote the GA essay) and was told we'd be notified by the end of the month. This week is their spring break, so most people in the offices aren't in.

Another thing that I really like about Whitehead is that everyone is extremely helpful. Every time I've emailed anyone there a question, I get a prompt reply. If I call, they are so nice and try to answer my questions quickly. I think it is more individualized than a lot of places.

[HOUBMA]

I second that! The Whitehead School's communication is second to none. Every time I have emailed or called they have always replied within 24 hours. Therefore, I would definitely say that they are more personable than other schools.

Personally, I am 22 (one of those fools applying right out of undergrad), but I would agree that most are in their mid to late-20's. Like I said, there were some 22-23 year olds, but most waited a few years to apply.

Being from Ohio I have always known Seton Hall, 1. because of their basketball, and 2. I am Catholic. I would say (leaving those two biases aside) that Seton Hall is a very respectable school with a well regarded IR school that is up and coming.

Edited March 11, 2010 by HOUBMA